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International Area Studies Review
[ Article ]
International Area Studies Review - Vol. 27, No. 3, pp.289-301
ISSN: 2233-8659 (Print)
Print publication date 01 Sep 2024
DOI: https://doi.org/10.69473/iasr.2024.27.3.289

Adolescents’ Perceptions of Competitive Classroom Climate and Career-related Search Engagement: New Evidence from Italy and South Korea

Seulki Kim ; Sungbeom Kang*
Sogang University, Republic of Korea
Department of Economics and Statistics, Korea University, Republic of Korea

Correspondence to: *Email: koopipoo@korea.ac.kr

Abstract

The findings of this study support the advantages of competitive classroom settings (as measured by adolescents’ perceptions of a competitive class climate) in enhancing involvement in career-related exploration pursuits. This study utilized data from the PISA 2018 assessments conducted in Italy and Korea. When examining career-related search engagement, we analyzed two aspects: engagement versus no engagement and the number of career-related search activities across nine different types of activities. Our findings are also robust across various sensitivity analyses. Competitive educational environments present both benefits and drawbacks to adolescents’ achievement across multiple dimensions. However, at an individual level, adolescents may find it inadequate to ignore competitive pressures. Therefore, satisfaction with learning engagement in competitive settings may prove more advantageous, including when making career decisions.

Keywords:

Competitive classroom environment, Career-related search engagement, Career-related search activities

AI Acknowledgment

Generative AI or AI-assisted technologies were not used in any way to prepare, write, or complete essential authoring tasks in this manuscript.

Conflict of Interests

The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Funding

The authors This work was supported by the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Korea and the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF 2024S1A5B5A1703742811 and NRF 2023S1A5B5A19093575).

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